Happy Baking to You!

In case you are in the mood for some last-minute holiday baking, I must share with you this most wonderful of breads. My favorite!

Orange-Cranberry Bread

From The Great Holiday Baking Book
by Beatrice Ojakangas
(a wonderful treasure!)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
¾ cup orange juice
1 cup halved fresh cranberries or ½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour one 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch or three 5 ¾ x 3 ½-inch loaf pans.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the butter, egg, and orange zest and juice all at once, stirring just until the mixture is evenly moist. Fold in the cranberries and nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan or pans.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes for the large loaf, or 50 to 55 minutes for the smaller loaves, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool

Makes 1 large or 3 small loaves

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